Website Of The Week – BBC Online

With the relaunch of BBC Online this week the Corporation made the rather grand claim that it would have the best Website in Europe within a year. A quick butcher’s at the Online site however would probably lead you to dismiss this as promotional flannel. The pages are slow to download, it isn’t graphically that exciting and, like so many Websites, it persists in cluttering all the information down the left hand side of the screen in an unnecessarily long column. Do not be too hasty judge, however, as a more probing inspection reveals an impressive amount of depth and service to the site.

The BBC Online homepage, rather than being simply the front of one site, acts as a springboard to other BBC-run areas which are substantial sites in their own right. There are links here to the World Service pages, Education information, TV and Film services as well as the 24-hour news-dedicated Website BBC News (subscribers see Website Of The Week – BBC News). There is also a Game of the Day which today features a frustratingly addictive challenge of herding rogue BBC logo letters into their correct boxes (if you can imagine that).

A large part of the site is contained within the advertising-funded beeb @ the BBC area which includes a Comedy Zone (with screensavers), The Score sports news and a shop for beeb spin-offs. Also here is Oi Beeb, a chat forum offering online communication with a selection of celebs; this Friday sees the Fast Show lads Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson catch-phrasing their way across the superhighway.

For the news-hungry their are two desk-top run ‘customisable’ news services which can be downloaded for free. The BBC Online Channel and Companion provide rolling news across subject areas which you can specify. The Ticker Tape scrolls across the top of your screen giving latest headlines and news which can be clicked on to transfer you to the appropriate Web page in BBC Online/News. This can also be customised to provide certain sets of information.

The site also claims to provide more services to those who become a member of BBC Online which is pretty good considering the depth available here for non-members. Basically Beeb, it’s marks for content but not for form; and at this stage in the development of the World Wide Web content is without a doubt far more important, not to mention well overdue.